Heartbeat
by kageneko461
Summary: Pre-Series. Ichigo's nightmares only hint at what is to come.


**HEARTBEAT**

KEY:

 _Thoughts/Emphasis/Dreams/Sounds_

 _ **Song Lyrics:**_ Murder by RPGMinx and boyinaband

 **Disclaimer** : …Disclaimed.

 **WARNING(S):** Pre-series.

 **Note:** I am Australian. Therefore, I will be using Australian terms – an example of this would be that a thong is a rubber shoe, NOT a piece of string masquerading as an undergarment. Please inform me if you believe I have done anything wrong, as on some things I am simply going by memory. Thanks to my Beta, Darkwriter69.

 **XXX**

Ichigo awoke to a dark bedroom, his bedsheets tangled around him. Sweat caused his shirt to stick to his skin, and orange hair to spread in all directions. He felt his eyes burning as he placed a shaking hand to his heart, which was thundering in his chest.

 _Ba-dum Ba-dum Ba-dum-_

For some unknown reason, the sound of the muscle's contractions washed away any lingering fear he had in response to whatever happened while he was sleeping.

Groaning in dismay, he realised how thirsty he was, however he also knew that he did not want to leave the warmth of his bed.

With plenty of effort, he managed to move himself so that he could see the green numbers of his digital clock.

4:15… In the morning. Monday morning, to be precise.

 _Ba-dum Ba-dum Ba-dum-_

He was going to get that glass of water, dammit!

 **XXX**

As he slowly but surely made his way to the kitchen, every shadow caused him to jump. He felt as though something was watching him and, to top it all off, when he stopped hearing the thumping in his chest he very well nearly had a panic attack!

Ichigo leant against the countertop, the ticking of the clock hanging on the wall strangely soothing to his frazzled nerves.

… _I wonder how bad the nightmare was, to have affected me this way,_ he mused as he turned to fill a glass with water from the tap, _and why am I so frightened of not being able to feel my heartbeat?_

Deciding to leave the thinking until he was actually awake and didn't feel the need to keep his back to the wall, he gulped down the cool liquid, the ticking of the clock and his own erratic heartbeat blending into one as his thoughts drifted.

He never noticed the faint, dying roar of a monster, or when the clock fell silent.

 **XXX**

 _ **BA-DUM, BA-DUM…**_

 _Endless white halls, a shattered mirror around every corner, twisted, whispering shadows and distorted cackles-_

 _ **THAT'S THE SOUND OF A CHASE…**_

 _There! A daitō, black as the moonless sky, stabbed into the ground. A chain with a broken link at the end hung from the base of the hilt. The tsuba and hilt are black as well. The crossguard had four prongs bent out of shape to form the shape of a manji. He reaches out, his hand so close to wrapping around the daitō's hilt-_

… _ **BA-DUM, BA-DUM…**_

 _Shattering glass (or was it a mirror?), white, endless white, black sclera and golden iris, the daitō is gone, obscured from view by the twisted being in front of him._

… _ **THAT'S THE SOUND THAT IT MAKES…**_

 _Before he knew what was happening, he was screaming, his heart was being carved out of his chest and ohgodhewantedtoDIE-_

… _ **BA-DUM, BA-**_

 _A thick white substance is pouring from his mouth and eyes, stretching itself over his face before solidifying into SOMETHING, there's crimson everywhere and he's terrified, but he stares into its eyes anyway, before a pale finger is pointing at his chest and he looks down and oh god there's a hole in his chest and he couldn't feel his heart beating in his chest-_

 _ **The 'dum' never comes**_

 **XXX**

"…And when Ichigo wakes up, it's because of his father's foot aimed at his face, not because he's in desperate need of a drink or because of a nightmare.

If he remembered anything past a black sword and broken mirrors, he might have been glad that his father woke him up. He wouldn't want to know what happened next.

But since he didn't remember, he wouldn't think those thoughts.

Instead, you'll be the one thinking them.

Aren't I just a wonderful person, Reader-san?"

 **XXX**

 **Author's Note:** The idea sounded so much better in my head, I swear!

I'm not entirely satisfied with the nightmare, but oh well. What's done is done.

Thanks for reading.

Ja!


End file.
